Description
This French Onion Chicken recipe combines tender, thinly pounded chicken cutlets with sweet, caramelized onions and melted Gruyère cheese. The rich flavors are enhanced by balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and thyme, creating an elegant yet easy-to-make dish perfect for a satisfying dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 4 boneless skinless chicken cutlets (16 to 20 ounces total)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour mix
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Pepper, to taste
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
Onions and Sauce
- 2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 3 ounces Gruyère cheese, coarsely grated (about 1 cup)
Instructions
- Caramelize the onions: In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced onions and ¼ teaspoon salt. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to brown around the edges.
- Simmer the onions with flavorings: Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and thyme. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes until the onions are very tender. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons water to deglaze the pan. Set the onions aside and wipe out the skillet.
- Prepare the chicken: Pound the chicken cutlets to uniform thinness if needed. Season evenly with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and pepper. In a shallow bowl, whisk together flour, a pinch of salt, and paprika for dredging.
- Cook the chicken: Melt 1 teaspoon butter in the skillet over medium heat. Dredge two cutlets in the flour mixture, shake off excess, and cook for 3 minutes until lightly browned. Flip and cook an additional 3 minutes. Remove chicken and repeat with remaining butter and cutlets.
- Make the sauce: Combine chicken broth and 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture. Add to skillet and whisk over low heat for 1 minute until thickened. Discard any remaining flour mixture.
- Assemble and finish: Return chicken to the skillet, top each cutlet with caramelized onions and grated Gruyère cheese. Cover and cook over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes until cheese melts and bubbles.
Notes
- Only about 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture is used in the sauce; the remainder is discarded.
- If chicken cutlets are not thin enough, pounding them helps them cook evenly and quickly.
- Feel free to substitute Gruyère cheese with Swiss cheese if unavailable.
- Use gluten-free flour mix to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Adding a splash of water during onion cooking helps deglaze and prevent burning.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 40 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
